The instant invention relates to toy guns, and more particularly to a spring powered toy gun which is adapted for firing projectiles with blasts of compressed air.
A variety of different types of toy projectile launchers and guns have been heretofore available, including various guns and projectile launchers which have been capable of launching projectiles with compressed air. In this regard, the U.S. Patents to Mills, U.S. Pat. No. 953,426; Austin, U.S. Pat. No. 1,310,644; LeFever, U.S. Pat. No. 1,856,285; Barber, U.S. Pat. No. 2,725,869; Lange, U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,977; Idan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,622; and Tsao, U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,307, disclose exemplary guns and projectile launchers which are believed to represent the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the Applicants are aware. However, the prior art has failed to provide a toy gun having a rack gear operating mechanism of the type included in the toy gun of the instant invention; and hence, the prior art devices, including those disclosed in the above-cited references, are believed to be of only general interest with respect to the toy gun of the subject invention.
The instant invention provides a toy gun having a unique, highly effective and realistic operating mechanism which therefore represents a significant improvement over the heretofore available toy guns and projectile launchers. More specifically, the instant invention provides a toy gun having a dual rack and pinion gear cocking mechanism which is adapted to enable a user to quickly and effectively move an air piston in the gun to a cocked position against the force of a biasing spring. Accordingly, the gun is adapted to be easily moved to a cocked position, and by thereafter releasing the air piston, the gun is operative for producing a blast of compressed air for launching a projectile from the forward end of the gun.
Still more specifically, the toy gun of the instant invention includes a housing, a plunger which is movable between cocked and uncooked positions in the housing, a first rack gear connected to the plunger for a movement therewith, a second rack gear which is manually movable between first and second positions in the housing, and a transmission gear assembly which is operative for communicating manual movement of the second rack gear to the first rack gear such that movement of the second rack gear from the first position thereof to the second position thereof causes movement of the plunger from an uncocked position in the housing to a cocked position. The plunger is adapted so that it is operative for producing a blast of compressed air for launching a projectile from the housing when the plunger is moved from the cocked position thereof to the uncocked position thereof, and accordingly, the gun of the instant invention is operative by first moving the second rack gear from the first position thereof to the second position thereof and by then releasing the plunger from the cocked position thereof to fire a projectile from the housing. The first and second rack gears are preferably mounted in substantially parallel relation in the housing, and the transmission gear assembly is preferably operative for communicating movement between the first and second rack gears so that when the plunger assembly is in the uncocked position thereof, the first and second rack gears move together and in the same direction as the second rack gear is manually moved toward the second position thereof. Further, the transmission gear assembly is preferably adapted so that the second rack gear is manually returnable to the first position thereof without causing corresponding movement of the first rack gear when the plunger assembly is in the cocked position. The toy gun preferably comprises a cylinder, and the plunger assembly preferably comprises a piston which travels in the cylinder for producing a blast of compressed air to launch a projectile from the housing upon movement of the plunger from the cocked position thereof to the uncocked position thereof. The housing preferably has longitudinally extending slots on transversely opposite sides thereof, and the gun preferably further comprises a pair of handles which travel in the slots for moving the second rack gear between the first and second positions thereof.
It has been found that the toy gun of the instant invention has significant advantages over the heretofore available toy guns. Specifically, it has been found that the first and second rack gears provide an effective mechanism for quickly and easily moving the plunger assembly to a cocked position. It has been further found that because the second rack gear can be freely returned to the first position thereof once the plunger assembly has been moved to a cocked position, the second rack gear and the associated handles are not normally moved during a firing operation so that the risk of injury to an operator of the gun is significantly reduced.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an effective cocking mechanism for a toy gun.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a cocking mechanism for a toy gun comprising first and second rack gears and a transmission gear assembly which connects the first and second rack gears so that they are operable for effectively moving a plunger to a cocked position against the force of a biasing spring.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.